Total births
9,389
Unisex name · since 1908
Palmer
9,389 babies named Palmer in U.S. Social Security records since 1908, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #258
- among girls today
- 9,389
- born since 1908
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
9,389 babies have been named Palmer since 1908, making it today's #258 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Palmer has been recorded 9,389 times among girls since 1908, currently ranked #258 nationally and more common than 99% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #258 among girls today
- 9,389 born since 1908
- 2020s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Palmer is currently the #258 unisex name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 9,389 born since 1908, peaking in the 2020s.
- #258
- among girls today
- 9,389
- born since 1908
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Palmer vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#258
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
71% of everyone ever named Palmer was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
1,330 babies were named Palmer in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Palmer compares
9,389 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Palmer's all-time total is 25x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Palmer | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,389 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,330 | 48 | 19,840 |
Palmer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Palmer's full recorded timeline at 1986, 97% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 3% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1910, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 1,330 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Palmer at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#258
Active since
1908
Palmer popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 1,330
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Palmer popularity over time - boys
9,264 total births recorded since 1880 (Palmer as boys' name)
Palmer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Palmer's strongest decade.
6,646 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 71% of all-time use.
Palmer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s 45
1910s
45 births
- 1920s 54
1920s
54 births
- 1930s 20
1930s
20 births
- 1940s 31
1940s
31 births
- 1950s 45
1950s
45 births
- 1960s 38
1960s
38 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 1990s 61
1990s
61 births
- 2000s 128
2000s
128 births
- 2010s 2,296
2010s
2,296 births
- 2020s
2020s
6,646 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 6,646 births (71% of all-time use).
How Palmer compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Palmer's total volume
Palmer vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Palmer by state
Where Palmer concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 936 | 10.0% |
| #2 | Florida | | 596 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 513 | 5.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 466 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 458 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 407 | 4.3% |
| #7 | California | | 340 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 293 | 3.1% |
Texas share of Palmer's total US births 10.0%
Even split
936 of 9,389 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Palmer appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Palmer? ▼
Since 1908, Social Security records show 9,389 babies named Palmer. Today it holds rank #258 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 1,330 births.
When was Palmer most popular? ▼
Palmer was most popular in the 2020s decade with 6,646 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Palmer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Palmer are Texas (936 births), Florida (596 births), Georgia (513 births).
Is Palmer a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Palmer is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 9,389 births, and as a boy's name it has 9,264 births.
How long has the name Palmer been used? ▼
Records for Palmer go back to 1908, giving 118 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Palmer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Paloma, Palma, Palmira, Pallavi, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Palmer's data
- Texas records the most Palmers (936 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Palmer
Nearby Names Like Palmer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Palmer
Paloma Girl
#968 10,765 births
Palma Girl
3,574 births
Palmira Girl
852 births
Pallavi Girl
358 births
Palak Girl
289 births
Compare Palmer side by side: Palmer vs Paloma Palmer vs Palma Palmer vs Palmira
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Palmer
Collins #257
10,779 births · Peak 2025
Ophelia #259
25,770 births · Peak 2024
Maisie #256
12,954 births · Peak 2025
Shiloh #260
15,117 births · Peak 2024
Lilith #255
13,534 births · Peak 2023
Lilly #261
66,728 births · Peak 2010
Elaina #254
32,220 births · Peak 2024
Lena #262
146,479 births · Peak 1917
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Palmer: #258 Unisex Name - 9,389 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/palmer. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Palmer draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.